Internet telephony with interactive information

• US 7,782,840 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYUN, SOON D
• Application Number:
  US10/945,297
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/40 Support for services or applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A subscriber (12, 14, 16) initiating an Internet telephony call may receive specific content targeted to that subscriber in accordance with a match between at least one of the dialed number and the calling party number. Upon receipt of the subscriber'"'"'s Internet telephony call, an Internet Telephony Service Provider server (18) searches each of a dialed number database, a calling party number database and a default database to establish a match between the calling party number, the dialed number or a range of either numbers. Upon finding a match, the Internet Telephony Service Provider server retrieves corresponding content, typically in the form of a URL that links to an associated web site, to provide to the subscriber who may elect to retrieve that information at the subscriber'"'"'s discretion.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive information to a calling party initiating an Internet telephony call, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving at an Internet telephony service provider a calling party number and a dialed number from a subscriber initiating an Internet telephony call;

setting up the Internet telephony call,

matching the dialed number to information related to said dialed number; and

providing said information to the calling party in accordance with the match between said information and said dialed number, which information the calling party may access at its discretion.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information provided to the calling party comprises at least one Universal Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a web site carrying related information.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the information provided to the calling party comprises multiple URLs, each identifying a web site carrying related information.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein each of the multiple URLs has a priority value that determines in what order the multiple URLs are provided in case of conflicts.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the multiple URLs are scrolled.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein the URL content provided to the calling party is customized in accordance with the calling party number.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein updated information is provided during the course of the call.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the updated information wherein the updated information comprises at least one Universal Resource Locator (URL) that identifies a web site carrying related information.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the updated information comprises multiple URLs that each identifies a web site carrying related information.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information provided to the called party is derived, at least in part from at least one of the dialed number and calling party number.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of providing the information includes the step of displaying such information on a display device.

12. Apparatus for providing a caller initiating an Internet telephony call with interactive information available at the discretion of the calling party, comprising:

an Internet Telephony Service Provider server that receives a calling party number and a dialed number from a subscriber initiating an Internet telephony call, and in response to receiving the calling party number and dialed number, the server setting up an Internet telephony call;

at least one first database linked to the Internet Telephony Service Provider server, said first database containing a table of dialed numbers and associated information blocks, each block containing information related to an associated dialed number,

said Internet Telephony Service Provider server querying the first database to match the dialed number to information related to said dialed number and to provide information to the calling party in accordance with the match with said dialed number, which information the calling party may access at its discretion.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 including a second database linked to the Internet Telephony Service Provider server, the second database containing a table of calling party numbers and associated information blocks, each block containing information related to an associated calling party, and wherein the said Internet Telephony Service Provider server queries both the first database and the second database to match at least one of the dialed number and calling party number to information related with each said number and to provide information to the calling party in accordance with the match between at least one of the calling party number and dialed number.